The Seiberling Rubber Company was an American tire manufacturer for motor vehicles.
24-499: In 1898 Frank A. Seiberling acquired an old strawboard factory in Akron, Ohio and founded the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (naming it after Charles Goodyear , the inventor of vulcanized rubber). He served as the company's president for 15 years when, in 1921 the company was refinanced and reorganized. Frank A. Seiberling and his brother Charles resigned from the company and founded
48-651: A Tudor Revival home built in 1915, remains in Akron and is now a National Historic landmark and historic house museum open to the public. Originally the site encompassed approximately 3,000 acres of land. Portions of the property were broken off during Seiberling's lifetime to create the Fairlawn Heights neighborhood and Sand Run Metro Park. Today the 501(c)3 museum maintains 70 acres including the 64,500 square foot historic manor home, five service buildings and thirty acres of historic gardens designed by Warren Manning. Seiberling
72-423: A broader conception of Akron's civic problems than Frank Seiberling." Seiberling focused on projects that directly impacted the lives of his Goodyear employees and thereby ensured the success of Akron. He developed and underwrote the creation of Goodyear Heights, a neighborhood for factory workers; and Fairlawn Heights, a neighborhood for white-collar employees. In addition, he was a founder of The Peoples Hospital,
96-523: A rubber and tire company bearing his name. The Seiberling Rubber Company was founded in 1921 in Barberton, Ohio . In only six years Seiberling rose from 330th to 7th place in the tire industry. During World War II , Seiberling supplied tires for heavy artillery pieces. Seiberling is also credited for inventing the Saw-Tooth Tread and the tire Heat-Vents. Seiberling Tire's advertising in the 1940s through
120-599: A small town into the "rubber capital of the world." In 1921, Goodyear was refinanced and reorganized, and Frank and Charles Seiberling resigned from the company. Frank Seiberling then began the Seiberling Rubber Company in Barberton, Ohio . During his lifetime, Seiberling became famous for his fair treatment of workers. In 1985, he was inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class. In June 1911, Seiberling announced that he
144-494: A tire building machine in a separate room on the factory floor and provided demonstrations to other tire manufacturers. Goodyear granted 50 licenses on the tire building machine and made an estimated $ 2,000,000 in royalties. By 1913, over half of the tires made in the U.S. were manufactured on the Seiberling State machine. Seiberling and Goodyear received additional patents for creating the first universal tire rim, introducing
168-466: Is buried in Glendale Cemetery. His grandson, John F. Seiberling , Jr., was a U.S. congressman from Ohio. Seiberling Rubber Company The Seiberling Rubber Company was an American tire manufacturer for motor vehicles. In 1898 Frank A. Seiberling acquired an old strawboard factory in Akron, Ohio and founded the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (naming it after Charles Goodyear ,
192-636: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 1898 and the Seiberling Rubber Company in 1921. He also built Stan Hywet Hall , a Tudor Revival mansion, now a National Historic Landmark and historic house museum in Akron, Ohio . Son of a German American entrepreneur from Ohio, Seiberling spent two years attending Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio , before joining the J.F. Seiberling Company, his father's farm machinery manufacturing business, working there as secretary and treasurer. His father, John Seiberling, founder of that Akron, Ohio , company, invented one of
216-765: The 1950s was famous for the brand's slogan of "A name you can trust in Rubber." In the mid-1960s, Seiberling launched the SuperWideSport series, a bias-belted tire aimed to the Muscle Car market, booming at the time. The tire featured a whitewall on one side and a redline on the other, also common on the tire market at the time. The tire achieved relatively good sales being that Seiberling's Akron rivals had released good products to compete, including Goodyear 's Polyglas, Firestone 's Wide-Oval, Uniroyal 's Tiger Paw and BFGoodrich 's Radial T/A. The tire success did not go unnoticed and by
240-443: The 7 acres (28,000 m ) it stood on, for $ 13,500. He borrowed $ 3,500 for a down payment from a brother-in-law, Lucius C. Miles. In partnership with his brother C.W. Seiberling, he decided to open a rubber company, picked a name, and was selling stock. The company would be named for Charles Goodyear , the discoverer of vulcanization , who had died penniless almost forty years before. While Seiberling and his brother Charles were
264-778: The Fairlawn Country Club, and the Metropolitan Park system in Akron. Seiberling also supported four educational institutions, his alma mater Heidelberg College, the University of Akron, Lincoln Memorial University in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee and the Western Reserve Academy a private boys school in Hudson, Ohio. He was also involved in the following organizations: Seiberling's private home Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens ,
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#1732858734590288-430: The Muscle Car market, booming at the time. The tire featured a whitewall on one side and a redline on the other, also common on the tire market at the time. The tire achieved relatively good sales being that Seiberling's Akron rivals had released good products to compete, including Goodyear 's Polyglas, Firestone 's Wide-Oval, Uniroyal 's Tiger Paw and BFGoodrich 's Radial T/A. The tire success did not go unnoticed and by
312-420: The co-founders of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company , its first president was David E. Hill, a business associate who purchased $ 30,000 of the company's initial stock. In 1899, Raymond C. Penfield, another brother-in-law, became the second president of the company; Lucius C. Miles followed in the position in 1900. In 1906, Seiberling, until then the secretary and general manager, became the fourth president of
336-731: The company. Seiberling was credited with 19 patents during his tenure at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. One of his most famous being for the Seiberling State Tire Building machine which was patented in 1908. Invented in collaboration with Goodyear's chief engineer William State, the machine mechanized tire building, which enabled the industry to move away from the cumbersome and time-consuming process of hand building tires. One man could now turn out 60 tires in ten hours as opposed to five tires built by hand. The Seiberling State machine revolutionized tire building and led to an explosion in tire production output. Seiberling set up
360-437: The double diamond all weather tire tread, and inventing a pneumatic truck tire which eventually replaced the industry standard solid truck tire. By 1916, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was the largest tire producer in the world. Seiberling became known as the "little Napoleon" of the rubber industry because of his small stature and his unremitting determination to succeed. He played a leading role in developing Akron from
384-540: The early-1970s the Big Three had some Seiberlings as original equipment fitted on their cars. Despite its commercial success and early achievements, Seiberling failed to adapt and catch up with the market changes, especially with the arrival of foreign companies who were quick to introduce the radial tire. The company was acquired in 1965 by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , ultimately belonging to Bridgestone when
408-432: The early-1970s the Big Three had some Seiberlings as original equipment fitted on their cars. Despite its commercial success and early achievements, Seiberling failed to adapt and catch up with the market changes, especially with the arrival of foreign companies who were quick to introduce the radial tire. The company was acquired in 1965 by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , ultimately belonging to Bridgestone when
432-509: The first reaping machines. While working for the company, Seiberling invented a twine binder that tied grain bundles with a bow knot. Many businesses failed in the panics of the 1890s , including the street railway company owned by Seiberling's father. In 1898, Seiberling was jobless, nearing forty years old, with a wife and three children. He learned of the availability of an old strawboard factory in East Akron, which he purchased, together with
456-404: The inventor of vulcanized rubber). He served as the company's president for 15 years when, in 1921 the company was refinanced and reorganized. Frank A. Seiberling and his brother Charles resigned from the company and founded a rubber and tire company bearing his name. The Seiberling Rubber Company was founded in 1921 in Barberton, Ohio . In only six years Seiberling rose from 330th to 7th place in
480-552: The latter took over Firestone. Seiberling tires are no longer sold in the US market, but the brand name is still in use in some countries. Manufactured at Firestone's plants, they are aimed to the budget-oriented consumer in selected sizes. Frank Seiberling Franklin Augustus " Frank " Seiberling (October 6, 1859 – August 11, 1955), also known as F.A. Seiberling , was an American innovator and entrepreneur best known for co-founding
504-411: The tire industry. During World War II , Seiberling supplied tires for heavy artillery pieces. Seiberling is also credited for inventing the Saw-Tooth Tread and the tire Heat-Vents. Seiberling Tire's advertising in the 1940s through the 1950s was famous for the brand's slogan of "A name you can trust in Rubber." In the mid-1960s, Seiberling launched the SuperWideSport series, a bias-belted tire aimed to
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#1732858734590528-879: Was born on October 6, 1859, in Western Star (present day Norton), Ohio, a community a few miles southwest of Akron, in Summit County, Ohio . He was the second of nine children born to John Frederick and Catherine Miller Seiberling. Seiberling had one brother and seven sisters. In 1887, he married Gertrude Ferguson Penfield, who was later to serve (1919–1921) as president of the National Federation of Music Clubs . The couple had seven children, three girls (Irene, Virginia, Grace Wenonah) and four boys (Fredrick, Willard, Penfield, and Franklin). Their youngest daughter Grace Wenonah died of bronchial pneumonia at only 18 months old. Seiberling died in Akron on August 11, 1955, of pneumonia, and
552-539: Was financing an attempt at a transatlantic airship flight, to be headed by Melvin Vaniman . In July 1912, the airship Akron exploded, and Vaniman and his crew were killed. During his lifetime, Seiberling used his fortune and influence to create fair housing, build a hospital, improve transportation both locally and nationally, preserve green space for the community's enjoyment and fund countless arts and culture programs and organizations. Seiberling believed true prosperity
576-484: Was gained through the enlightenment and improvement of every citizen. A 1937 Akron Beacon Journal editorial, opined, "One reason we all like the Seiberlings is because they never went 'high hat' on Akron; perhaps no other local family ever enjoyed greater prosperity and achievement . . . yet they were never so busy as to turn a disinterested ear to any pleader for Akron's future or civic welfare . . . No man in Akron ever had
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